


The World in Ink

by sksdwrld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-01-11 14:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sksdwrld/pseuds/sksdwrld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin and Gaius run Kilgharrah Tattoos. Merlin's done a lot of stuff in his life, but falling in love with a client was never one of them. Until now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Excalibur

As far back as Merlin could remember, his Uncle Gaius had been covered in tattoos. They had always been old and fading, it seemed, colors muddled and blurring into his wrinkled skin, but Merlin had been fascinated by them nonetheless.  He loved them all, from the traditional anchors to the rose with his grandmother's name beneath it. The saucy pinup girls were good for a laugh and the sea monsters battling across his chest had been the inspiration for many a bathtub adventure.

 

Aside from the unrealistic dream of growing up to be a sorcerer, Merlin could only remember ever wanting to be one thing and that was a tattoo artist, just like his old uncle Gaius.  He'd suffered through plenty of indulgent smiles from his mother who clearly thought he would grow out of it, but he never had. When he turned eighteen, Gaius had given him his first tattoo; a smug looking Dragon of his own design on his ribcage. It had hurt worse than the time he broke his arm skateboarding but he only cried a little and Gaius had just quirked his eyebrow and gone on inking.

 

It wasn't long after that that Merlin managed to convince Gaius to let him start working at <I>Kilgarragh Tattoos</I> as a shop hand. In his spare time, he worked on his drawings and designs and after six months, Gaius sent him to the butcher for  a pig's leg to practice on. Another few months later, Gaius let Merlin touch up the color on a few of his older tats, giving him pointers about his techniques.

 

Merlin had been Gaius' apprentice for nearly two years before he'd been allowed to do any work on a paying customer. He'd started inking just the outlines and graduated to filling blocks of color, then doing simple flash pieces. Five years later, Merlin had gone to dozens of conventions, made an equal number of acquaintances, and inked nearly two thirds of his body. His mother loved him just the same and she'd long since stopped harping on him to do something with himself.

 

Gaius was still the main draw for the shop but taking fewer and fewer clients each month, complaining that his hands bothered him. Merlin had taken on an assistant of his own, barely more than a kid and going by the name of Mordred. Mordred was only seventeen but he ran the front of the shop efficiently and was hoping that Merlin would take him on as an apprentice when he was old enough.

 

That said, he was still just a punk kid and he tended to argue with the customers instead of employing a little tact. Today was no different. Merlin was in the back room, messing around with the photocopier when he heard the door jingle. He peered around the corner to find a clean-cut, posh but nervous-looking bloke standing like he was lost.

 

"Help you?" Mordred said as he came to the front of the counter.

 

"Yeah, I..." The guy said with uncertainty. Clearing his throat, he then spoke more surely. "Yeah. I wanted to get something done and my sister said I should come here, ask for Gaius."

 

Mordred drummed a beat on the counter with his pen. "Gaius is done for the day but Merlin's here, he can help you out if you like."

 

A dubious expression crossed the bloke's face. "When can I get in with Gaius?"

 

Mordred made a show of leafing through the schedule but he knew it as well as Merlin did. "Sorry, looks like he's booked for the next six weeks. But I can pencil you in if-"

 

"Six weeks! You've got to be kidding me!"

 

"Sorry mate," Mordred shrugged. "You know what you want? I can tell you if it's worth the wait."

 

Begrudgingly, the guy pulled a photo from his breast pocket, glanced at it and then passed it over. Mordred looked at it for all of two seconds before announcing, "For portraits and shit, you'll want Merlin anyway. Gaius really only does landscapes and flowers these days."

 

"But Gaius is supposed to be the best..." the guy trailed with a frown, as if he believed he was deserving of just that.

 

Mordred pulled Merlin's photo-portfolio from under the counter and plopped it in front of the customer. "See for yourself."

 

Merlin rolled his eyes, hastily cleaned up the scans he'd been working on, and strode out into the shop. "Hey! You here to see a man about a tattoo?"

 

The joke fell flat and the customer only gasped up at him. Merlin exchanged glances with Mordred and then extended his hand toward the customer. "I'm Merlin Emrys, what can I do for you today?"

 

 "Arthur," he said and clasped Merlin's hand briefly. "I'm not sure, honestly. What I'm looking at...it's important to me. I can't just have some hack -no offense- scribbling on me."

 

Merlin blinked and let out an astonished laugh. "Gaius is my uncle. I practically grew up in this shop...been working here since I was his age." He gestured toward Mordred.

 

"Been inking for a few years now, but really guy, do you think Gaius would work alongside a talentless hack who was going to tarnish his reputation and do dodgy work on his clients?" Merlin's hands went to his hips. "If you want Gaius, I suggest you make an appointment, but, if it's what I happened to overhear -a portrait- then he's just as likely to refer you to me anyway. You don't want me to do it, I know a guy across town who's almost as good."

 

Arthur blinked, dropped his eyes to the portfolio and flipped through a few more pages. Then, he slid the picture over to Merlin. Merlin leaned closer to look at it, surprised to find that it was a horse; not just any horse, but one wearing a stylized headdress of armour and a decorated breast plate.

 

It was nothing that Merlin would have expected. It didn't seem to suit him at all, but who was he to judge. "Where were you thinking you wanted it?"

 

Arthur mumbled and gestured toward the back of his right shoulder.

 

"Sorry, do you mind if I have a look? It'll give me a better idea if I can see what I have to work with and how it'll fit in with your other pieces, if you've got any."

 

Unabashedly, Arthur pulled his shirt over his head, saying as he turned his back to Merlin, "I don't."

 

Merlin hummed thoughtfully as he examined the broad expanse of Arthur's back. He held the picture up and frowned. "This really ought to be a bit enlarged so that it doesn't look out of place...maybe this big?" He traced a circle on Arthur's shoulder with his fingertip.

 

Shuddering lightly, Arthur shook his head. "I really didn't want something that big."

 

Merlin sighed. "Are you sold on placement? This size would work..." he trailed the photo over Arthur's torso. "Here, on your flank."

 

"I don't want my bloody horse on my arse!" Arthur vehemently protested.

 

"No, no." Merlin said thoughtfully. He was already picturing the movement the piece would gain from such a location. "More on the backside of your hip. Here, Mordred. Give me that marker."

 

Merlin took the fine-pointed marker that he was handed and uncapped it. Without thinking, he tugged down the edge of Arthur's trousers and made a hasty, sketched outline on Arthur's skin in the indicated spot. Then, he trailed the marker up and did the same on Arthur's shoulder blade. "There, have a look in the mirror over there, and you tell me."

 

It was only after Arthur sauntered away that he realized how forward he'd been. But maybe Arthur hadn't noticed either. He was pulling his trousers down farther as he turned this way and that, looking at himself in the mirror. Finally, Arthur returned, nodding. "Yeah, I think you're right."

 

"Cool," Merlin said and spun the photo on the countertop. "Let me make a photocopy of this. I want to sketch it out and get a feel for it. Can you come back in an hour? When is good for you?"

 

"Uh," Arthur had the look of confusion that first-time clients got when they realized that they weren't going to just sit down and get their ink done that moment. "I can do tomorrow afternoon, I guess."

 

"Great," Merlin smiled. "Mordred will set you up with an appointment while I take care of this. Oh, and Arthur?"

 

Arthur glanced over at him.

 

"What's your horse's name?"

 

"Excalibur."


	2. Valiant

Arthur was laying on Merlin's table, his red t-shirt rucked up around his armpits and nude from the waist down, a carefully draped sheet the only thing preserving his modesty. He shivered slightly as Merlin donned his black, latex gloves but Merlin suspected it was just nerves. They kept it warm in the shop for this very reason.

 

Carefully but perfunctorily, Merlin shaved the downy translucent hairs from Arthur's right hip and dried the area. He applied the stencil which was only the outline of the cantering horse. All of the shading and fine details would be eyeballed and added by hand. When he was through, he and Mordred held a mirror over Arthur for his approval of placement and then he got down to business, turning on that tattoo machine and dipping the tip of the needle into the black ink well.

 

"So, tell me about Excalibur," Merlin said as he scooted closer to Arthur and lowered the needle.

 

Arthur made a soft sound in the back of his throat and stiffened. Merlin wiped the excess ink and blood away from the small line he' made and patted Arthur's back. "Relax mate and tell me about this horse you're immortalizing on your body. Must be a special horse."

 

"My first horse," Arthur said. It sounded like his teeth were clenched. But as Merlin went on inking, he slowly unraveled the tale of Excalibur, once a lively show horse but now an aging stallion, retired to Pendragon pastures.

 

"But the armor in the picture...that's not typical," Merlin prompted as he began to work on shading. "Do you joust or something?"

 

"Or something," Arthur replied airily. "Have you heard of mounted archery?"

 

"No, but it sounds kinky," Merlin murmured.

 

Arthur snorted. "It's exactly what it sounds like. Bow hunting and marksmanship displays while on horseback."

 

"Doesn't holding require two hands?" Merlin mused aloud. When Arthur replied in the affirmative, he asked, "So how do you control your horse?"

 

"With your legs," Arthur responded, his tone suggesting that he thought Merlin was an utter moron.

 

"Well," Merlin said, dunking his nib into the white ink, preparing to do highlights. "That explains your thighs of steel."

 

Arthur fell quiet as a flush made it's way over his skin.

 

"Just an observation," Merlin chuckled and wiped at Arthur's skin again. "Bet it makes you feel powerful..."

 

"What?" Arthur asked.

 

"Riding...and shooting shit." Merlin said distracted as he glanced at the picture taped to Arthur's arse cheek for reference.

 

"In the same way that your job probably makes you feel powerful..." Arthur said elusively.

 

Merlin was used to making idle chatter with his clients. He wiped, dipped and went back to inking as he replied, "How so?"

 

"Some cultures believe that art is transient. People are trusting you to create something meaningful and lasting on their skin. What's to stop you from mucking it up out of spite or for your own personal amusement?"

 

"Integrity." Merlin hummed. "Is that what you're worried I'll do?"

 

"No. My point is that you probably don't see things that way and neither do I. I have the privilege of working with these giant, gentle beasts and I don't think about it as controlling them as much as we read each other's signals and move together. It's my passion, Merlin. Isn't this yours?"

 

"Oh..." Merlin leaned back to assess his work, tilting his head this way and that. "Well, that's a good way to look at it, I suppose. And it is my passion. It's all I've ever wanted to do."

 

"Well, there you are." Arthur said. A moment later, when Merlin didn't continue working, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

 

Merlin's eyes strayed away from the tattoo, taking in Arthur as a whole man. A very fit man. The fingers of his left hand twitched and he realized for the first time that he'd been resting his hand on Arthur's arse for the duration of the tattoo. He grinned sheepishly and turned off the tattoo gun. "Not a damn thing. I think we're done."

 

"Done?" Arthur echoed, propping himself up on one elbow and looking over his shoulder.

 

"Done." Merlin resisted the urge to give Arthur's arse a cheeky slap. "And you've been so valiant, Arthur. I'm very proud."

 

Arthur snorted as Mordred came over with the plastic wrap and lotion.

 

"It's true," Merlin said. "I cried during my first tattoo."

 

"Really?" Arthur looked amused.

 

"What he fails to tell you is that his first one was on his ribs, a notoriously painful spot, even for the well-padded. And Merlin is not exactly well-padded." Mordred butted in and Merlin gave him a look that made him roll his eyes before walking away.

 

"Go look at that before I grease you up and send you on your way." Merlin flapped his hand toward the mirror on the wall and tried not to watch as Arthur gathered the sheet around him and strode across the parlour.

 

Arthur admired his back end for a few minutes before returning to Merlin's side. "It's the dog's bollocks, really, Merlin. Thank you."

 

Merlin grinned. "Yeah? Does that mean you'll let me snap a photo for my portfolio?"

 

Arthur agreed and let Merlin adjust the drape of the sheet to display the tattoo. After Merlin had taken a few shots, he let the sheet drop and tossed Merlin a toothy smile. "How about one for your personal collection?"

 

Merlin barked a startled laugh and a flush climbed up his throat, staining his cheeks and then his ears. He stammered, "Flirting with your tattoo artist isn't going to get you a discount..."

 

"No?" Arthur glanced down at his arse and then back at Merlin. "What about a date?"

 


	3. Beauty and the Beast

 

"For someone who keeps odd hours, you're looking awfully chipper," Arthur grumbled. "What did you get, four hours of sleep?"

 

"Me?" Merlin grinned. "Haven't gone to bed yet, drank an entire pot of coffee."

 

"That's good for the old hand-eye coordination." Arthur rolled his eyes as Merlin held up his right hand, which trembled faintly. "I get my tattoos done by a guy called 'Shakes'..."

 

"Are you always this delightful in the morning?" Merlin grabbed a menu and leafed through it while Arthur balled his fists into his eyes.

 

"Usually," Arthur said, passing him a facetious smile.

 

"You asked me out," Merlin felt it prudent to remind him.

 

Arthur cleared his throat. "Yes, well...I felt it necessary to preserve my honor, after spending over two hours with your hand on my naked arse."

 

"It was a fine place to rest," Merlin murmured. He felt the tips of his ears go warm again. When he looked up, Arthur was smirking at him. Merlin kicked his foot under the table. "You're a prat, and you know it too."

 

Arthur shrugged casually and glanced up at the waitress who had approached the table. They both placed their orders, and when she had gone again, Merlin leaned forward. “Why did you really ask me out?”

 

Arthur straightened the edge of his paper placemat and cleared his throat. “You’re easy to talk to.”

 

“That’s it?” Merlin lifted an eyebrow.

 

“There needs to be more?” Arthur asked as one corner of his mouth quirked up. Glancing away momentarily, he added, “You’re...easy on the eyes.”

Merlin burst into laughter. “I am _not_ easy on the eyes. I’m usually quite garish, I’ll have you know, what with my spiked hair and tattoos and whatnot.”

 

“Oh, yes. My mistake.” Arthur’s eyes skittered over Merlin again. “You’re not at all good-looking, delicate, or ravishable.”

 

“Ravishable?” Merlin repeated in surprise. Arthur’s plump lips rolled over the word again and Merlin slumped helplessly against the booth seat. “Fuck me, what’d you have to go and say that for? We’ve just ordered pancakes.”

 

Arthur’s eyes shone with a new brightness and he glanced over his shoulder toward the counter. “Well, it’s too late to cancel our order now. I guess you’ll just have to save room. In the meanwhile, say something entertaining.”

 

“Oh, no pressure!” Merlin held up his hands as he rolled his eyes. “Entertaining, God...”

 

“Oh, come on!” Arthur goaded him. “Tell me about your tattoos.”

 

“My tattoos?” Merlin glanced helplessly down at himself. His body was awash with color. He had a full-sleeve of sea-creatures and ships on his left arm and his right was three-quarters filled with a veritable garden of flowers and, leaves, and tribal geometrics. The knuckles of his right hand had the four classical playing card suits, and there were dice on his right thumb. And that was just what was visible.  

 

His torso was a playing ground for medieval imagery, from the Great Dragon on his ribs, to the sorceress on his back to the knight in shining armor standing sentinel to his belly button. His right leg was quickly becoming an homage to monsters and other such terrors of the night and there was a deliberately hideous owl with an eviscerated mouse on his right thigh.

 

“Arthur,” Merlin hedged, “We could be here all day.”

  
Arthur checked his watch. “I’ve only got two hours. Prioritize.”


	4. The Secret Sharer

Merlin and Arthur had never really taken the time to define their relationship in the four months they'd known one another although by Merlin's definition, it was definitely a relationship. They were taking things slow because their hours didn't really align (Arthur was a morning person while Merlin was a late-night kind of bloke) but at least once a week, they met for breakfast at some ungodly hour and Arthur liked to swing by Kilgharrah's to a couple of nights a week to keep Merlin company.

 

They were an odd pair, what with Arthur being a pretentious business executive who trained horses in his spare time and Merlin essentially living in the tattoo parlour, but they shared a sense of humour and had a healthy interest in sex. For them, things just clicked.

 

The shop phone was ringing and Mordred was nowhere to be seen. Merlin sighed and darted over to answer it. "Kilgharrah Tattoos, you think it, we ink it..."

 

"Is Merlin available, please?" A familiar, sweet feminine voice asked.

 

Merlin frowned as he tried to place it.  "Speaking."

 

"Oh, good. It's Morgana,"

 

"Morgana!" Merlin declared enthusiastically. "I was just thinking the other day that it had been awhile since we'd seen you. Have you finally decided to get that Medusa-cameo piece? My fingers are itching for you."

 

"I'm still thinking about it, actually." Morgana said distractedly. "No, no, honey. Don't do that...sorry, look, Merlin. I wanted to talk to you about something but I think it's best if I came by. You're not busy are you?"

 

Merlin looked around the empty shop. "Nope."

 

"Good. Do me a favor - don't book anything for the next couple of hours and don't go anywhere. I'll be right over and I'll pay you for your time."

 

"Er, alright..." Merlin drawled, crossing to the door and flipping the "Gone For Lunch" sign into place. "I'll be here."

 

"Great. I hate to spring this on you like this, Merlin, but it has to be done. See you soon."

 

Morgana hung up and Merlin frowned at the phone before he placed it back on the cradle. She'd always had a flare for the dramatic and his curiosity was definitely piqued. While he waited, he puttered around the parlour, straightening, cleaning, and trying to imagine where this was headed.

 

He didn't have to wait long to find out. Soon, Morgana was yanking open the door and ushering a small, tow-headed child into the shop. He stared between them and he knew that the look on his face must have been comical. "Sweet baby Jesus, you've kidnapped some elected official's spawn..."

 

Morgana rolled her eyes. "I haven't kidnapped anyone...I'm babysitting."

 

"You, babysitting?" Merlin scoffed in surprise. "Who in their right mind thinks you're capable of keeping an impressionable young human alive, let alone trust you with maintaining the balance of their delicate psyche?"

 

"Merlin," Morgana warned as her eyes darkened.

 

"Okay, you're right, where are my manners?" Merlin crossed to her and air-kissed each of her cheeks. "It's lovely to see you, darling, it's been far too long!"

 

"Merlin..." Morgana rolled her eyes in exasperation.

 

"Of course, I didn't think it's been this long..." Merlin crouched in front of the child and extended his hand. "Hey buddy, my name's Merlin and this here's my shop. What's your name?"

 

The boy's blue eyes widened and he stepped half behind Morgana, mumbling into her thigh, "...Leon."

 

"Leon! Leon the lion, anybody ever call you that? How old are you, Leon?"

 

Leon gazed up at Morgana and when she nodded at him, he held up his hand with the thumb folded in.

 

"You're four? Oh, look how smart you are. You like to color Leon? I've lots of markers and paper over here..." Merlin pushed himself to his feet and went about collecting the supplies. Morgana stood back, looking faintly amused by the whole ordeal.

 

When Leon was happily coloring, Merlin turned back to Morgana. "You gonna tell me what the hell you had to rush over here for, or am I just going to spend the afternoon drawing dinosaurs and rocket ships with little Lord Leon over there?"

 

"It's about Leon, actually..." Morgana paused as she looked at him. Her eyes flickered back to Merlin. "It's not fair to him you know, to let this carry on so long. And it's not fair to you."

 

Merlin's eyebrows drew together and his pulse quickened. "What is this about? Quit faffing about and just tell me..."

 

"I shouldn't be the one to tell you," Morgana hedged.

 

"For Christ's sake, you're already here..."

 

"Can't you see the resemblance?" Morgana bit her lip and looked down. "It's a running joke in our family...spitting image of his Dad, don't you think?"

 

Merlin studied the boy's fair coloring, the profile of his nose, and what was bound to develop into a strong jaw. When Leon looked up, he flashed Merlin a toothy smile and everything clicked into place. Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh God, Arthur. He's a mini-Arthur..."


	5. Another's Sorrow

The bell jangled cheerfully but Arthur had nothing but daggers in his eyes for Morgana when he shoved his way into Kilgharrah's. "You had no right-" He started.  
"Hullo Arthur," Merlin said without looking up.

As Merlin capped the red marker in his hand, Leon sat up on the table with an enthusiastic cry. "Daddy!"

Arthur turned toward his son, stopping dead in his tracks, probably when he saw the colorful drawings all over his torso. "Oh, what the bloody fuck?"

"Relax, it's just marker..." Merlin murmured, gathering them up.

"I can see that, thank you, Merlin. One would hope that between you and Morgana, one of you would have the sense not to tattoo a four year old." Arthur picked up Leon's crumpled shirt and wrangled it back on to his son, seeming to ignore his excited chatter.

Arthur pulled Leon onto his hip. “Say goodbye to the nice man.”

Merlin snorted. “You’re going, just like that? No ‘Hello Merlin. How’s your day been? _Have you met my son?_ -”

“I can see you’ve met him,” Arthur snapped. Then his eyes lowered and he swallowed as he half-turned. “I’m sorry.” 

"Sorry that I met him? I can tell." Merlin folded his arms across his chest. "So is he your dirty little secret, Arthur, or am I?"

"Merlin...it's not like that." Arthur shoveled his hand through his hair.

"Maybe you could tell me exactly how it is, then." Merlin demanded, folding his arms over his chest.

Arthur glanced angrily at Merlin and then away. "We need to go."

"Maybe Morgana can take Leon for a moment so we can talk." Merlin prompted and Morgana stepped away from the wall, reaching toward Leon.

"I think Morgana has done quite enough!" Arthur snapped. "Anyway, it's getting late..."

"It's six-thirty," Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Exactly, Merlin. It's past dinner time, encroaching on bath time and thank you for the fuckall of a time I'm going to have with that, and then it'll be going on time for b-e-d. I don't expect you to understand." Arthur headed for the door but Merlin followed after him.

"Maybe I would, if you'd stopped to tell me once in four months, Arthur."

Arthur put his hand on the door. "...There just wasn't a good time."

"Arthur, wait!" Merlin put his hand on Arthur's arm and leaned forward, meaning to give him a kiss as a show of good faith.

But Arthur put his hand on Merlin's chest, stopping him. "I'll ring you later."

Disappointment washed over Merlin and he stepped back, holding the door open for Arthur. Swallowing thickly, he looked at the ground. "Bye Leon, Arthur..."

The bell jangled as the door swung shut again, but it didn't seem as cheerful as it usually did. Merlin stood there with his hand on the door for a long time. Finally, Morgana approached him and laid her hand on his forearm. "Merlin, are you alright?"

"I'm not certain that I am," Merlin blinked and looked around the shop. After a moment, he crossed to the table that Leon had been laying on and finished cleaning up the mess. He put his markers away and then picked up the papers Leon had been scribbling on before asking Merlin to give him a tattoo _like Daddy's_. He angled them toward the bin but at the last moment, pulled them back. As Merlin looked through them, he felt something like wistfulness tug at him. It made him nostalgic for his own childhood; like Leon, Merlin had spent hours doodling in this very shop.

As he tucked them into one of his drawers, he felt Morgana's palm on his back. She kissed his cheek and rubbed his shoulder. "I wish I could say he'll come around, but God only knows with him...I'm sorry, Merlin. I just couldn't sit by and let him do it any longer."

A long, shuddering breath escaped Merlin. "One of these days, I'm sure we'll both thank you."

"You want me to stay?" She offered.

Merlin shook his head. "Thank you, but no."

Morgana nodded and smiled sadly. "I understand, I've done enough...Maybe I'll come by next week about the cameo?"

Nodding, Merlin waved toward the front desk. "Just give me a call, I'll make time for you."


	6. Chapter 6

Merlin's mobile rang for the fortieth time and he didn't even glance at the screen before disconnecting the call, grumbling, "Fuck off, Arthur." It had been a week since Merlin had met Arthur's son and after going three days without so much as a text from Arthur, Merlin had decided he was no longer interested. Of course, that meant Arthur had decided to ring him insistently.

He managed to sketch out half a line on his notepad before the shop phone began ringing. Unfortunately, Arthur's change of heart didn't come with a side of 'take a hint'. "Mordred, you tell that prat I'm not here!" Merlin bellowed across the room.

"Kilgharrah's tattoo's, you pick it, we stick it..." The door jangled as it opened and a moment later, Mordred replied with amusement, "Yes, of course...hold please. Merlin, your nine o'clock is here."

Merlin glanced up and scowled when he realized that it was Arthur standing at the desk. "I'm busy, Mordred.

Reschedule him with Gaius."

"I don't want Gaius," Arthur said. "You're the best, I want you."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Pendragon." Merlin grumbled. "I'm not available."

"I'll wait." Arthur crossed his arms.

"Try me again in four months," Merlin snapped, stabbing his pencil into the electric sharpener and then continuing to angrily hatch-shade another client's sketch.

"I'll wait," Arthur prompted again.

"And I'll still tell you to sod off."

"Merlin..." Arthur sighed. "Please hear me out."

"I'm working," Merlin dismissed him.

"I'm paying for your time," Arthur reminded.

Merlin's fingers tightened on his pencil and it snapped. He threw it away from himself and scowled again. "I am not a hooker for hire. This is my place of business and I have no desire to converse with you, about _that_ here."

"Come for a walk with me," Arthur begged, unfolding his arms and crossing to Merlin's desk. He laid a hand on Merlin's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Merlin ignored the flare of heat that sparked and travelled into his chest.

"Merlin, please."

Sighing, Merlin glanced at Mordred. "I can't leave him alone."

Mordred held up his hands. "Happy to piss off for an hour so you two can kiss and make up."

"Forty-five minutes." Merlin's eyes narrowed at Mordred and then flicked up at Arthur. He pointed sternly, "And I'm not promising you anything."

Mordred was quick to depart and Merlin took his place behind the counter, should the phone continue to ring. He pulled the schedule book toward himself and took up a pen so that he might doodle in the margins. "Well? Speak."

"Merlin..." Arthur began and then paused. Merlin didn't look up at him. "Merlin, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I should have told you about Leon a long time ago. Honestly, I thought about it everyday but then I just...I couldn't. And everyday that passed made it harder to tell you the next. "Leon is the most important thing in my life and my love for him is unrivaled, but-"

"Don't you dare say you love me," Merlin interrupted, scribbling clean through the margin of one page and into the one beneath it.

Arthur was quiet for a minute. "I care for you, Merlin, a lot. And you don't know what it's like to try and date, when you have a child. You have no idea how many people who have just walked away from me the moment they find out. It's baggage most people aren't willing to deal with, but damn it, Merlin, it is hard to be alone. And I thought...I thought if maybe you got to know me first, that maybe the news about Leon would be...bearable. if you liked me for me, then you would accept him too." 

"That should have been my choice, Arthur." Merlin said."But now you've forced me into this awkward position where I look like the arsehole if I say we're through, because everyone will think it's because of Leon."

"Isn't it?"

Merlin's head snapped up. "No, you utter prat. I happen to like children, and I'm not about to hold single parenting over anyone's head. I never knew my dad. My mum was alone and things were hard for us. I used to wish she'd find someone because sometimes, she was so sad... But that you didn't trust me...that you couldn't even give me a chance..." Merlin shook his head in disgust.

"Well," Arthur said, leaning against the counter. "Clearly I'm the arsehole here."

"Clearly," Merlin muttered.

Arthur quietly rubbed his thumb against the countertop for awhile before looking up. "Look, Merlin, I know I don't deserve it, but I'm really hoping you'll give me a second chance. I really think we had something and I'll hate myself if I didn't try to make it work."

"I don't know, Arthur. I really tried to talk to you that night and you were just so..."

"I know," Arthur hung his head. "I was angry with Morgana and at myself. I took it out on you because you were there, and you know, I've been...I've been hurt so many times, putting myself out there that in the moment...it was, I don't know, easier to push you away first than to be rejected. It wasn't until later, replaying things in my head, that I realized you weren't doing that in the first place."

Merlin kept doodling and didn't reply. It was too much to take in at once and his own heart was on the line. He didn't care for being shoved away or lied to either. After a minute, he realized he'd been heavily outlining a heart and quickly scribbled it out.

Arthur swallowed audibly. "Leon...He...he's rather taken with you and hasn't stopped talking about the 'tattoos' you gave him. He wants to have a tattoo themed birthday do. I...I thought it might be fun if you came to do all the kids. I understand if that's too awkward for you. I can get the rub-on ones, but there isn't anyone else I would trust to pen them on, and it would mean so much to Leon...if you...I would pay, of course..."

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. "God forbid you get a clown, like everyone else, Pendragon."

"He's my son, Merlin. I try to make him happy at all costs." Merlin sighed and flipped through the pages of the schedule book. "When did you have in mind?"


	7. Come Together (Right Now, Over Me)

In the four months that Merlin had been seeing Arthur, never once had he been asked to Pendragon Manor. Arthur had claimed it was too far out of the way and that things would be awkward because his father lived with him. Looking at the magnificent estate before him, with its sprawling country mansion, sizable gardens, barn and stables, Merlin imagined that it would have been quite difficult to run into Arthur's father at all. Merlin swallowed down the bitterness that rose like bile in his throat and climbed out of his car, retrieving the washable marker set that he'd bought just for the occasion as well as the gift for Leon, wrapped in the comic strip section of the newspaper and tied with brightly colored shoelaces.

Glancing at the row of posh cars he'd parked his junker beside, Merlin thought for the tenth time that this was probably a mistake. At the last minute, he grabbed his hoodie off the seat, and even though it was a warm day, shrugged it on. Merlin's tattoos often were a beacon for interesting conversation, and although he hadn't seen anyone else yet, he was already worried about being a social pariah. With a sigh, he headed for the side garden, where pennants were strung and blowing in the breeze.

The air was filled with the scent of popcorn and candy floss, making Merlin nostalgic for the pastimes of his youth, which were delightfully bereft of the complicated trappings of relationships gone wrong. He let himself in through the gate, pausing to gape at the red and white striped tent that seemed to be the centerpiece of the garden itself. [(wanna see?)](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2eK4GtKyk4A/SslkZo9N11I/AAAAAAAAAwM/aJL4_ofIeSA/s1600/party-outside-6-l.jpg)

The table beneath the tent was laden with refreshments and there was an actual popcorn cart filled to bursting with hot, buttery kernels. A screaming hoarde of children raced toward Merlin and he took a single giant step out of the line of fire, bumping into something in the process.

Before Merlin had the chance to stammer an apology, hands curled around his biceps and steadied him. They lingered long enough that Merlin knew it was Arthur, even before he spoke.

"Easy, there."

Merlin swallowed, trying to ignore the warm spark that ignited along his spine. He stepped forward and half turned, nodding in acknowledgement. "Arthur." 

Arthur stared at him a long while, and just when things were on the verge of growing uncomfortable, he reached for the gift in Merlin's hands. "Let me take this for you."

"I've got it..." Merlin's argument was ignored and he found himself following Arthur to the gift table.

"I'm glad you made it," Arthur said sincerely as he fingered the shoelace-ribbons. Turning he offered Merlin an awkward smile. "Can I get you something?"

"Water..." Merlin heard himself say and once more he was traipsing after Arthur, staring at his perfectly grab-able, fuckable arse. Swallowing, he turned his head, intent on looking somewhere, -anywhere- else.

Arthur handed him a chilled bottle of water from the refreshment tent and Merlin thanked him. He meant to compliment Arthur on going to great lengths for Leon's party but what came out of his mouth instead was bitter-sounding. "Didn't spare any expenses, did you?"

Arthur actually looked sheepish. "I thought this was a simple birthday do...if my father had his way, there would have been camel's and an elephant."

"Oh God!" Merlin groaned. "You don't mean to say there's a pony?" 

"And a clown who does magic tricks, at your request, of course." 

Merlin started to protest but realized that Arthur was teasing him. "I thought this was a tattoo-party, not a damn circus." He could barely keep the smile from his own face.

Arthur shrugged apologetically. "Leon changed his mind. You know how five year-olds can be..."

"Am I meant to be a sideshow act?" Merlin murmured, unable to ignore how affected he was by Arthur's charming smile and mere proximity. He wanted to stay angry but it was difficult when Arthur was laying it on so thick.

"Did you want to be the main event?" Arthur cupped Merlin's elbow and tugged. Merlin stumbled against him but quickly pulled away and smoothed his hoodie down.

"It's hardly appropriate," Merlin breathed, glancing around to determine whether or not anyone had _seen_...the brigade of screaming children made their way back toward them and guiltily, Merlin stepped farther away from Arthur.

"I miss you," Arthur said as the children passed.

Merlin swallowed and adjusted his set of markers beneath his arm. "Is there somewhere I can get set up? How soon were we going to do this?" He tugged the collar of his hoodie. It was too heavy for such a warm day and he was starting to sweat already. 

"Sure, over here." Arthur said, hurt registering in his eyes. Merlin felt a pang of regret for not echoing the sentiment but it was too late. "If you want, I'll introduce you to the other parents, but then I should get back to the party."

"Of course," Merlin agreed.

"When you're ready, I'll let Leon know you're here. As soon as he realizes, he'll want to see you, I'm sure. And, well, once he's gotten his tattoo, the other children will be dying for their own. I imagine you'll be quite busy." 

Merlin laced his fingers together and cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on."

Arthur brought it.

Merlin finished shading the rainbow colored hair of a unicorn on the upper arm of a little girl and smiled. "All set, dear." He hadn't thought about how controlled his motions were going to be, given the tiny size of his 'clients' arms and legs and his hands ached from the non-stop drawing on thirty children over the course of a couple hours. "Who's next?" He called, trying to keep the weariness from his voice. Keeping children engaged while he worked was much more difficult than adults. He could appreciate Arthur a lot more now; Arthur had been running around, entertaining the children since he'd left Merlin's side. 

In fact, it was Arthur who flopped, half out of breath, into Merlin's chair next. He passed Merlin a conspiratorial smile and huffed, "That's the last one. Let Morgana handle the cake and the aftermath." 

"A suitable penance..." Merlin murmured, flexing his fingers. 

Arthur was quiet for a moment and then sighed. "I am sorry about that, Merlin. I never meant to hurt you." 

"I know." Merlin said, capping each of his markers one by one. "You're just a selfish prat who didn't think things through." 

"Exactly." Arthur agreed, somewhat uncomfortably. 

"How's Excalibur?" Merlin interjected, trying to change the subject, which now felt drawn out and tired. 

Arthur brightened visibly. "Good, he's good. Would you...would you like to meet him?"

"Really?" Merlin couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips.

"Really." Arthur stood and held out his hand.

Merlin hesitated before taking it and letting Arthur tug him up. "This had better not be a ruse to get me alone with you. I have no interest in playing stable-hand with you right now."

"Right now? Does that mean you'll consider it in the future?" Arthur grinned and bumped his shoulder against Merlin's.

"Don't push it, Pendragon."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Camelot Land's prompt, "Lips"

"He's beautiful," Merlin breathed, climbing on the fence and reaching, unafraid, toward the dappled grey horse. Excalibur nudged Merlin's empty hand again and Merlin laughed as he stroked him. "But I think he's looking for something." He looked over his shoulder at Arthur, who had stopped at the barn to grab a few treats in anticipation of Excalibur's behavior.

"He's a greedy, spoiled beast," Arthur said fondly, snapping a carrot into chunks and passing them one at a time to Merlin.

"Arthur says you're a prat," Merlin crooned to the horse as it crunched noisily. "But it takes one to know one, doesn't it?"

Arthur sighed and Excalibur snorted.

"You see? He agrees." Merlin nodded with glee. Arthur rolled his eyes and passed Merlin another bit of carrot but a smile tugged at his lips nonetheless, as though he found Merlin's ribbing amusing.

Their fingers brushed during each exchange but Arthur seemed not to notice, leaning on the fence when the last bit was gone, and reaching past Merlin to pat Excalibur's flank. They petted him together in companionable silence for a few minutes but then Merlin turned.

"There's something that's been bothering me since I found out about...since I met Leon." Merlin bit his lip as he glanced at Arthur and then away. He heard Arthur take a deep breath.

"What?"

"Excalibur." Merlin gestured toward him, stroked his mane once more, and then hopped down from the gate, brushing his hands on his jeans. "I know what he means to you. I commemorated him permanently in ink on your skin. I've listened to your stories about him, looked through your scrapbooks. I feel as if I know him through you. But Leon...he's your flesh and blood. Your child, Arthur. And I...I know why you didn't say anything about him. I still don't like it, but I've tried to put myself in your shoes and I get it. But what I don't understand is...why Excalibur warrants permanence and exaltation but Leon is hidden away from the world."

"That's a good question," Arthur said after a pause. "And one that deserves an answer, but..."

Merlin had a feeling Arthur wasn't going to be very forthcoming. He scowled and started back across the grass toward the party. Arthur quickly caught up with him, caught Merlin's fingers and spun him around. "I wasn't finished," he said, licking his lips. "Stay. After the party is over, stay for dinner. Meet my father, and let me...let me show you why Leon doesn't have his rightful place yet."

Merlin's eyebrows went up. "Yet?"

Arthur nodded and the sunlight made his wet mouth glisten. Merlin swallowed and closed his eyes. A moment later, he felt a gentle pressure against his own lips. It was Arthur's thumb. "Please say yes?" Arthur asked.

Merlin pushed Arthur's hand gently away and opened his eyes. In that moment, Arthur looked so wistful and sincere that Merlin couldn't deny him. "Okay." Arthur's lips curved into a brilliant smile that only widened when Merlin took his hand. "We should get back before people start to wonder what we've gotten up to."

Arthur laughed. "Let them speculate."


	9. Chapter 9

Merlin didn't have much opportunity to be worried about meeting Arthur's father. After Leon opened his presents, the children, hopped up on cake and exhaustion, morphed into nasty creatures who fought and beat one another until their parents decided it was more than time to go. After that, Merlin helped Arthur and Morgana clean up the garden which looked like a post apocalyptic war zone, strewn with trash and food, while Leon played happily with his new things.

Arthur appeared grateful for the help and Merlin did his best not to ogle Arthur's arse everytime he bent over to pick something up, but it was difficult. It was a fit arse and Merlin knew from personal experience how wonderfully hot and tight it was. He hadn't exactly been on the pull the last month and he missed the regularity with which he had grown accustomed to getting laid. Merlin fleetingly wondered if he was emotionally capable of handling a one-off with Arthur, and he was almost positive that Arthur wouldn't decline the opportunity but ultimately decided that it was a bad idea and tried to put it out of his head.

By the time they were done cleaning up, Merlin was more than ready for a rest. "Tell me you're making sandwiches for dinner," he pleaded as they made their way toward the house, certain that he wasn't up to chopping and stirring and sweating in the kitchen at this point.

Arthur flushed and didn't meet Merlin's eye. "I...didn't tell you that we had a housekeeper, either?"

Merlin's eyebrows went up and then he shrugged and sighed. "I don't suppose you did. But why should I be surprised?"

"It's my father's, really, but since there's only the one kitchen and she's cooking for him anyway...there's really no sense in making elaborate meals for one..."

"Haven't you a gardener then, and a stable hand? And what sort of other servants? Have you got someone to wipe your arse?"

Arthur sighed. "We have a gardener and a stable manager, both, and Leon has a nanny, which is why I was able to see you at all. Morgana has her own place, but I couldn't manage things on my own, not with Leon. It's better for him that we stay on with my father, who would be incredibly lonely if we left anyway. You always knew we were affluent, Merlin. Are you going to hold it against me now?"

Merlin sighed. Arthur was right. "No, I guess not. It's just easier to go on being angry with you at this stage..."

Arthur paused on the doorstep and took Merlin's hands, leaning forward as though he meant to kiss Merlin. Merlin leaned away and Arthur sighed again. "Please give me another chance?"

"I am, Arthur, I'm still here, aren't I? Isn't that enough?"

Arthur didn't answer and pushed the door open, holding it wide for Merlin to step through. Merlin was instantly impressed and thrown by the grandeur of the entryway, with it's cut marble flooring, mahogany horse head umbrella stand, and grand, curving staircase. He let Arthur take his hand and tug him through a foyer and great room, past the dining room and kitchen, and into what appeared to be a study, of sorts. There was a desk in the far corner and behind it sat a grey haired, stern looking but handsome man who appeared to be very caught up in his work.

Clearing his throat, Arthur let go of Merlin's hand and took a hesitant step forward. "Father? If you have a moment, I'd like to introduce you to a good friend of mine..."

The man's eyes flicked up and over Merlin and his nostrils flared as his jaw set.

All the worry that Merlin had managed to shove aside flooded back into him at once. He swallowed, took a step back and brushed at his bare arms. The alarm bells in his head were clanging noisily and he wanted to flee but Arthur's hand met his back and propelled him forward. "Father, this is Merlin. Merlin, my father, Uther Pendragon."

"Delighted." Uther said perfunctorily and turned his gaze on Arthur. "Will he be staying for dinner?"


	10. Chapter 10

Dinner with Uther Pendragon would have been unbearable were it not for Leon's indiscriminate chatter. His enthusiasm for the birthday party was apparent and even Uther couldn't help but smile at some of the more exaggerated retellings of events only recently past.

Leon was especially excited to show off the chest plate 'tattoo' that Merlin had done for him. It was two duelling gryphons and their wings extended over Leon's collarbone to the apices of his shoulders. In Merlin's own opinion, it was quite the sophisticated piece for a five year old but he'd asked for something 'really cool' and Merlin hadn't been able to help himself. Of course, Uther was entirely unimpressed and passed a stern look over to Arthur who only passed him a simpering smile before finishing the remainder of his wine in a single large swallow.

Arthur was quick to excuse them all immediately following the meal, on the pretense of giving Merlin a tour. Their first stop was the finished basement, which was one quarter part bar and three quarters part playroom, which seemed like a strange combination until Leon dove into his toys and Arthur poured the both of them a drink.

"And now you know why I hadn't invited you over before," Arthur said, eyes downcast as he slid a vodka tonic over to Merlin. "My father is..."

"A pompous arsehole?" Merlin cut in before taking a sip.

Arthur's eyes flashed up and he chuckled. "I was going to say 'the embodiment of nineteenth century values': stern, rigid, and unwavering in his beliefs, but yeah, yours is more accurate."

"Doesn't like tattoos, does he?" Merlin asked, eyes on Leon who was screaming about building the biggest tower in the world as he rapidly stacked blocks atop each other.

"Or queers," Arthur grimaced.

Merlin swore softly. "Two for two here. I'm just perfect for you, yeah?"

"I think so," Arthur said with a hesitant smile. He reached for Merlin's hand and covered it with his own. "Merlin, I-"

"Daddy!" Leon shrilled. "Come help me!"

"Well," Arthur sighed. "That's my cue. Excuse me, will you?"

"No," Merlin replied firmly and set his drink aside. Arthur sent him a questioning look as Merlin stood. "I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here, swilling a drink while the two of you have all the fun."

Arthur quickly schooled his look of disbelief into a wide grin and the two of them went to sit with Leon. When they were finished building what turned out to be a rather lopsided castle, the action figures came out and battled for ownership. After cleaning up that colossal mess, Leon wanted to paint but somehow settled for doing puzzles instead.

Checking his watch, Arthur pushed himself to his feet. "I'm going to run the bath upstairs. You don't mind keeping an eye on him for a few minutes? He just sat down to that puzzle and he's likely to pitch a fit I pull him away now."

Merlin didn't even look up from his awkward perch on a kid-sized chair beside Leon before waving Arthur away.

"Leon, when Daddy comes back, you have to take a bath, okay?" Arthur warned, kissing the top of his head.

"Nooooo!" Leon whined, putting another puzzle piece in place.

"Leon..."

The boy sighed with a pout. "Do I have to wash off my tattoo?"

Arthur huffed a sigh of his own but it was Merlin who answered. "You have to wash. You don't want to be the stinky kid. But I'll do another one for you the next time I see you, okay?"

"Oh-kay..." Leon grumbled.

Arthur flashed a relieved smile. "Brilliant. Remind me to thank you later."

"Uh huh."

"Back in a flash," Arthur promised, but his 'flash' turned out to be closer to half an hour, not that Merlin was worried.

When Arthur returned, he had a cigar box in hand and he put it on the bar, laying his hand flat on the top of it. "Sorry for taking so long. I went to get this...it's...it's the answer to your question from this afternoon. I won't be an hour getting him down to bed and I hope you'll stay until I'm finished, but with the reception my father gave you, I can hardly blame you for taking off."

Merlin hauled himself to his feet and came over to the bar, trying to peek beneath Arthur's hand, but Arthur moved to stand in front of the box. "I'll be gone in a minute, you can see it then..." He sighed again and reached out, stroking Merlin's shoulder. "I'm so glad you came, Merlin, and I'm ready to talk if you still want to. I know you must have more questions, and frankly, you're entitled to answers. I wish I had gone about this differently from the start, because you're so good with him..."

Arthur's eyes glistened suddenly with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Merlin, for what it's worth. I'm so sorry." Darting forward before he could be stopped, Arthur planted a kiss on Merlin's mouth. Then he turned, scooping Leon up with a playful growl.

"Say goodnight to Merlin!" He prompted, tossing Leon over his shoulder and heading for the stairs.

"Good niiiiiiiight Merrrrr-lin!" Leon giggled and waved madly.

Merlin raised his hand in return. "Good night, Leon. Happy birthday!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I think what ruins relationships and causes most fights is insecurity." - Olivia Wilde

When Arthur and Leon had gone, Merlin sat down at the bar, took a swig from his gin and tonic, and pulled the cigar box toward him. With a deep breath, he traced his fingers around the lid, and then lifted it.

Inside the box were innumerable scraps of paper. Some were torn at the edges, some neatly cut. Others were photographs or photocopies. One by one, Merlin lifted them out and laid them side by side on the bar, sorting them as he did so. There were sixteen lions in various poses, four different configurations of the Leo constellation, two pictures of Leon (one a gummy baby, the other a toothy toddler), a child-sized hand print, a photocopy of a baby-sized footprint, one colorful sketch that was no-doubt performed by Leon, and then dozens of font samples. Some had Leon's full name, others his full name, others his birth date (with slashes, dashes, dots, or completely written out). Still more were just the the font itself, with letters or numbers underlined in red or blue pen.

There were over a hundred scraps of paper, all told. It was suddenly clear to Merlin that that Arthur's problem wasn't that he hadn't considered a tattoo in Leon's honor, it was that he'd _over_ thought it entirely and was in search of perfection. He felt like a heel and downed the rest of his drink to push back the sudden wave of regret for giving Arthur such a hard time when he'd been trying so hard to win him back amidst the much larger priorities of his busy life.

It was clear where Leon ranked in Arthur's life and Merlin realized that his concern for Arthur's feelings about his son was really just a mask for his own insecurities. With a sigh, Merlin checked the time on his mobile, then began to put the papers back in the box. If he knew where Arthur wanted the piece, he could offer suggestions, sketch out a mockup, free hand something on his skin. If Arthur even wanted him to do it. Maybe he'd want someone else. Someone he didn't have a turbulent history with. Merlin could get Gaius to do it, or call on one of his friends. Freya, he thought, had the talent Arthur deserved, but it had been awhile since he'd seen her and asking a favor straight off didn't sit right with him so he shot off a text instead.

_Long time, no talk. How's things?_

Merlin wasn't worried when she didn't get back to him right away, but he did polish off the now watery remnants of Arthur's drink while he waited.

Not much later, Merlin heard the basement door creak open and Arthur called hesitantly down. "Merlin?"

"Still here," he called standing and making his way toward the stairs. Arthur came quickly down and whipped around the post at the bottom, nearly crashing into Merlin in the process.

"Oy!" Arthur breathed, grabbing Merlin's elbows to steady himself. "Sorry, Merlin, I didn't realize you were there. You're not...not taking off, are you?"

Merlin stared at Arthur for just a little too long but finally shook his head. "No, I..." he bit his lip and then cleared his throat. "Arthur, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Arthur interjected with a frown of confusion.

"For giving you such a hard time... I just...when you walked away from me, you made it look so easy and it hurt. I wasn't just going to take you back without making you prove yourself. Usually I hate games like that and I don't know what-"

"Wait," Arthur said, moving his hands from Merlin's elbows to his biceps, then reaching up to touch Merlin's cheek. "Did you just say...?"

"I'm sorry," Merlin repeated.

"No, after that."

"You hurt me."

"I know, Merlin, and I'm sorry, but I meant after that."

"I hate playing games."

" _Before_ that..." Arthur chuckled.

"What?"

"Did you say you were...I'm probably reading too much into it. I mean, I...what else can I do to prove my...myself to you? Merlin, please."

Merlin looked at Arthur again and seconds stretched by like hours. Reaching up, Merlin flattened one hand against Arthur's chest, then ran it up his shoulder to curl around the nape of his neck. Arthur's breath hitched and his lashes dipped as he whispered, " _Merlin_..."

It was the last straw. Their mouths crashed together and there was a flurry of motion. Hands pulling each other closer, tugging at hair, at clothes and belts. It had been too long and there was too much at stake and all Merlin wanted was to feel the beat of Arthur's heart beneath his palm.

Things were escalating quickly and as much as Merlin wanted it (he couldn't deny it any longer), he couldn't. Not by here. Not surrounded by Leon's toys and trusted plushies, with their glassy, knowing eyes. "Wait!" He murmured into Arthur's mouth and Arthur pulled away to look at him, his hands pressing warmly into Merlin's back below his rucked-up shirt. "Wait...you haven't given me the tour yet."

"The tour?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. Sometimes subtlety did go over Arthur's head. "Your bedroom, prat, or some place more suitable for vigorous make-up sex. I promise I'll try to keep it down."

One of Arthur's hands slid down to Merlin's waist and then around to the front, feeling him through his jeans. His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Well, what fun is that?"


	12. Chapter 12

Merlin had not been expecting an actual tour but as it turned out, Arthur had an entire wing to himself. And seeing as how his room directly adjoined Leon's, the two of them started on the reference table and ended up on the brown leather chesterfield in the library that still harbored more of Leon's toys and drawings than Merlin cared for but had conceded to because desperate times called for desperate measures.

Afterwards, Arthur had taken Merlin back to his en suite to clean up and then coaxed Merlin into watching a few episodes of _The X Factor_. Before Merlin knew what was happening, the cozy spooning turned into a lengthy make out session and frotting like teenagers, followed by handjobs by light of the TV.

In the wee hours of the morning, Merlin was awoken by Arthur's creaky armoire door. He watched sleepily while Arthur dressed, then passed him a wan smile. "I really meant to head home last night..."

"Don't be silly," Arthur said, stooping to kiss him. "I'm glad you stayed..." There was a hesitation that prompted the unspoken 'but' and Merlin threw back the sheets.

"Don't worry, I'm taking off as soon as I can get myself sorted." Merlin began picking his clothes up from the floor and pulling them on.

"You don't have to," Arthur said softly. Politely.

"I very much do," Merlin said, not at all put out. "I am not ready for the answer to Leon's question of 'why daddy's tattoo artist had a sleepover' and I'm not sure I'm prepared for another rousing meal with your father just yet..."

Arthur sighed but smiled and began to knot his tie. "Alright, then. Shall I...can I call you later?"

"Only if your estate comes with an easy escape hatch," Merlin grinned. He was serious about not bumping into Uther.

Arthur nodded. "Of course. Or as I like to call it, the front door."

Merlin shot Arthur his best unamused look. "I meant it about your father, yeah?"

"Oh, relax. He's more bark than bite," Arthur said, angling his head for a kiss. "And anyway, he's out for his morning ride. You'll get off, scot-free."

"Thought I already did," Merlin murmured with a grin.

"You did. Twice." Arthur laughed in turn and cupped Merlin's cheek. "Let me check on Leon, then I'll walk you out. Or, to the front door, anyway. I trust you can find your car from there? I just don't want to leave Leon alone in the house."

"'Course," Merlin agreed. "Might not find him, otherwise. This place is half the size of Buckingham palace..."

Arthur and Merlin interlocked their first two fingers on the way through the halls and for some silly reason, Merlin felt as giddy as he had doing the same thing with his first boyfriend in third year. When they made it to the entryway with its high ceiling and great staircase, Arthur glanced around for witnesses, then leaned Merlin against the wall for a deep, intimate snog.

"Thank you," he whispered as he drew away. "Thank you for the second chance. I'll try not to fuck it up, I promise..."

Sighing, Merlin stroked Arthur's face. "Just talk to me, that's all I ask."

"I will," Arthur had the decency to look ashamed. "I swear it,"

"Until next time then," Merlin kissed Arthur's lips, then slipped out the door. He hustled to his car and threw his knapsack onto the passenger seat then slid into the driver's side and keyed on the ignition before rummaging around for his booklet of cd's. After slipping _Oasis_ into the slot, he put his car in reverse, backing up a few centimeters before glancing into the rear view mirror and slamming on his brakes.

Uther Pendragon was astride a majestic, dappled grey mare and together, they formed an impenetrable blockade with a formidable glare that made Merlin shiver. After a minute, Uther directed the horse around to the front of the car but the ferocity in his eyes didn't lessen.

Merlin desperately wanted to peel out of his parking spot, cut a wide circle and take off down the lengthy drive way, leaving Uther in a cloud of dust. But since he was trying to rekindle things with Arthur, he smiled, waved politely and eased backward as he rolled his window down. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Uther remained icy and Merlin immediately regretted his decision. "Arthur has a weakness for skinny dark-haired boys..." He picked a leaf from his pants and flicked it aside distastefully. "I've done my best to save him from himself and I won't have my efforts thwarted by a lowlife chav such as yourself. You've had your fun now, but you aren't welcome here again. I won't have you exploiting him."

Merlin's mouth was open in disbelief and his teeth clacked as he closed it too quickly. Then he shook his head. "You're mad. And Arthur is a grown man." As Uther silently stared him down, Merlin fumbled to roll up the window and accelerated down the drive. He didn't realize until he turned onto the street at the bottom that his hands were shaking.


End file.
